Pro US skier Kyle Smaine, 31, is killed in an avalanche in Japan that friends say was triggered by another skier who watched as he was ‘thrown 50 meters into the air by the blast and buried’
- Professional skier Kyle Smaine died in an avalanche on Sunday
- Two men were found dead as three others survived the avalanche in Japan
- Authorities said an avalanche had been triggered by another skier
Professional skier Kyle Smaine was killed in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday, his family have confirmed.
Two men were found dead among five swept up in an avalanche on the eastern slopes of Mount Habuka Norikura in central Japan, outside the patrolled areas around the nearby ski resort at Otari Village.
Japanese authorities would not identify those killed in the accident, but fellow skier Grant Gunderson wrote on Instagram: ‘Yesterday was my absolute worst nightmare scenario,’ Gunderson wrote in an Instagram post published Monday.
He said an avalanche had been triggered by a skier, and Smaine ‘was thrown 50 meters by the air blast and buried and killed’.
Pro skier Kyle Smaine (pictured) died in an avalanche in Japan last weekend
Two men were found dead among five swept up in an avalanche on the eastern slopes of Mount Habuka Norikura in central Japan
Two men who were travelling with Smaine posted Instagram updates saying he had been killed in the avalanche.
The missing two had been outside the patrolled areas of a ski resort in Otari village to the east of the slope, along with several other skiers and snowboarders when the incident took place on Sunday.
The others were able to return down the mountain, but two foreign nationals were still missing by Sunday night.
Search teams reported that they had found the two men in ‘cardio-respiratory arrest’ on Monday, police official Tomohiro Kushibiki told AFP, using a term commonly employed in Japan before a death can be confirmed by a doctor.
Editorial Use Only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (5600153c) Kyle Smaine at the Oslo Winter X Games Mens Ski Superpipe Elimination Winter X Games Oslo, Norway Picture: Sandra A. Mailer 28/02/16 Winter X Games, Oslo, Norway – 28 Feb 2016
MAMMOTH, CA – JANUARY 19: Kyle Smaine competes in the final round of the FIS Freeski World Cup 2018 Men’s Ski Halfpipe during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix on January 19, 2018 in Mammoth, California. Smaine finished in first place. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Kushibiki said he could not confirm the identities of the two men found Monday, or their nationalities.
But Mountain Gazette said Smaine, 31, had been killed in an avalanche in Nagano on Sunday.
The outlet said he was with another professional skier, Adam U, and the publication’s senior photographer Grant Gunderson.
‘Yesterday was my absolute worst nightmare scenario,’ Gunderson wrote in an Instagram post published Monday.
He said an avalanche had been triggered by a skier, and Smaine ‘was thrown 50 meters by the air blast and buried and killed’.
KREISCHBERG, AUSTRIA – JANUARY 22: Kyle Smaine of USA celebrates after winning the gold in the Men’s Ski Halfpipe Finals during the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships 2015 on January 22, 2015 in Kreischberg, Austria (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Kyle Smaine of US celebrates at the podium after the Men’s Ski Halfpipe Final at FIS Freestyle and Snowboarding World Ski Championships in Kreischberg, Austria on January 22, 2015. Kyle Smaine of US won ahead Joffrey Pollet-Villard of France and tannic Lerjen of Switzerland. AFP PHOTO / MICHAL CIZEK (Photo credit should read MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images)
Last week, a cold snap blanketed much of Japan in heavy snow, including Nagano, which draws many overseas tourists during ski season.
An avalanche warning and snow warning are currently in place for the area.
Fans were quick to leave tributes to Smaine on a video he posted on Instagram on Sunday showing him skiing off-piste.
‘This is what brings me back to Japan each winter. Unbelievable snow quality, non-stop storms, and really fun terrain that seems to get better (the) more exploring you do,’ he wrote in a comment accompanying the video.
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